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HOT DESERTS: Lethal to Some, Yet Home to Others

HOT DESERTS: LETHAL TO SOME, YET HOME TO OTHERS

Dr. James J. S. Johnson

The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. (ISAIAH 35:1)

VINEGAROON WHIP-SCORPION (photo credit: Things Biological blog)

In deserts the temps climb quite high,

With scarce rain, those lands get quite dry;

Such climes can be torrid,

For some that is horrid —

Yet yuccas can cope when it’s dry.

Yes, deserts are truly alive;

Harsh heat some critters survive;

Like cactus blooms brilliant,

And lizards resilient —

There sagebrush and rattlesnakes thrive.

(The above limerick I have titled “Hot Deserts: Lethal to Some, Yet Home to Others”.)

COMMENTARY: As Isaiah 35:1 indicates, the glory of the Lord is displayed even in desert places (including arid wildernesses that most of us would consider wastelands), where even cactus flowers blossom with bright colors and beauty, attracting pollinators, as their succulent tissues store water for desert birds such as Gila woodpeckers. God’s glory is displayed in the magnificent variety of creatures (including the exotic Vinegaroon scorpion!) and habitats He has decorated the earth with.

It is the adventure and privilege of mankind, created in God’s own image – and redeemed by the blood of God incarnate — to learn of these treasures in God’s creation, and to appreciate God for showcasing His power and wisdom in such humbles creatures as such desert denizens, who daily brave the hot and arid extremes, living and in desert places.